Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-07-08

During the previous homeward voyage
this bird had learned to repeat some IF
the most common orders. Until the new
crew learned to distinguish the officers
voices from the imitation. they were fire.
queLtly sent aloft to loose sail. or called
aft to the braces. by the mischievous bird,
much to the annoyance of the mates and
the anger of the men. Finally. just as
the master had made up his mind to have
the parrot kept below decks. it disap-
peared. The mate never discovered how:
but. of course, he believed the men had
killed and thrown it overheard.
The man whom the captain wounded
recovered slowly from the wound, hav-
ing for some time high fever. He was
taken aft and cared for with great kind
ness by the captain and his wife. despite
the fact that he had been in the mutiny.
When he returned to his bunk in the
! forecastle. he had been completely won
by the treatment he had received from
the man he had sought to kill. He there
fore exerted his influence in the interests
of peace but the breach between the
men and officers had been constantly
widening during his illness, and was now
too great to be closed by ordinary meas
llres.
The master was well aware of the in
subordination among the crew, and began
to consider the wisdom of abandoning his
gentle measures and putting the ring
leaders in irons. He enjoined upon his
officers extra watchfulness and firmness,
but distinctly forbade any bullying or
hazing.
This was just before the ship crossed
the line.
One evening the ship was struck by
'white squall' of those marine
tornadoes which cause the loss of many
fine ships.
The night had that surprising beauty
which makes the tropics so delightful.
Sky and sea were nearly the same shade
of clear, soft blue, separated by white,
filmy haze hiding the horizon. The stars
of the southern hemisphere shone ever
head with brilliancy seldom seen in
northern ATTITUDES. The crests of the
waves cleaned with phosphorescent light
against the dark background of the sea.
Rising in quick succession, they made
running leaps up the smooth side of the
ship, falling back again with musical
murmur, down over the copper sheath
ing.
The breeze was only fresh enough to
gently incline the deck of the ship, and
the officer Of the watch leaned against
the taffrail, looking at the swelling can
vas towering above him in three snowy
pyramids crossed at intervals by the black
yards which stuck out from the taut
weather leeches of the sails, like spines in
the dorsal fin of a fish; or, dropping his
eyes, he watched the jellyfish floating by,
glowing with phosphorescent hght-red,
blue, green and yellow-in such num-
bers that he amused himself by fancying
the mermaids We're having a dance by
the light of Chinese lanterns.
Presently a little rattle of the canvas
recalled him from his thoughts, and rails
ing his head with a warning, mo
higher.' to the helmsman, he noticed the
white haze on the weather horizon was
slowly spreading upward.
The low stars grew gradually paler,
then vanished; and the bottom of the
haze, instead of merging gradually into
the deep blue of the sea, had changed to
a distinct white line, which needed but
little watching to show it was rapidly
coming nearer.
The practiced eye of the officer took in
the situation at a glance, and running to
the break of the quarter deck, he shouted,
'Clew up the royals Haul down the
staysails and jibtopsails,' "Call the
watch below"
The men sprang to the clew lines and
down hauls. The tops of the three pyra-
mids of sail faded away, giving few in
dignant slaps, and the staysails ran down
with hoarse rattle of the iron hanks.
Before the gear could he hauled snugly
home, the squat struck the ship with a
force that made her reel, throwing her
almost upon her beam ends, and half
burying her amid the swirling foam.
Let go everything yelled the
master, as he scrambled up from his
cabin, and rushed to the wheel to put the
ship before the wind.
Away went sheets and halliards. The
canvas bellied and collapsed, caught full
again, and ierked away from the yards
in streaming tatters with a roar like a
broadside of heavy guns. The helm was
useless; for the ship was pressed down
upon the water and held motionlsss, ex-
cept for a culver like that seen in a
frightened horse, caused by the springing
anu DtlluinS Vi ileI plldlu sl)drS. deT
lee yard arms were buried in the water;
and the crew, finding it impossible to
stay upon the almost perpendicular deck,
had crawled over the weather bulwarks
to the outside of the ship, where they
chung to the channels.
Capt. White worked his way along to
one of the cabin air ports, and, smashing
it in with his boot, called to his wife,
"We are knocked down, Mary! Reach
mp your hands. You are small enough
to be pulled through the window"
Never mind me- John. Look to your
ship" she answered.
But if the sea gets up, we shall
founder"
Look to your ship, John! can come
when l get the log book and chronom-
eter. Look to your shipr'
He turned, and motioning the crew to
follow, crawled forward to the fore
castle. By working half under water,